London Through Russian Eyes, 1896-1914: An Anthology of Foreign Correspondence

The many images of London created over the years by foreign journalists and consumed by audiences beyond Britain's shores deserve to be better known. This anthology provides a unique window onto London as it existed more than a century ago in the minds of the Russian public.Russian foreign correspondents produced a substantial body of writing documenting life in Britain's capital city in all its infinite variety. Their articles, published in Russian journals and newspapers, and until now inaccessible to English speakers, were instrumental in forging Russian perceptions of London before the First World War. But today they have acquired a new interest as monuments of a vanished era and as records of the city's history in their own right.

The foreign correspondents described the realities that surrounded them in great detail and at great length, and the selections in this anthology from Isaak Shklovsky, Korney Chukovsky, Samuil Marshak and Semyon Rapoport give just a taste of the riches that still lie hidden in the pages of old periodicals. The anthology is divided into four sections: 'Foreigners in London', focusing on the plight of immigrants in the city; 'London Labour and the London Poor', documenting the experiences of working-class Londoners; 'London at Home and at Leisure', depicting the domestic life and amusements of Londoners of all classes and ages; and 'London Streets and Public Life', covering elections, religious meetings, famous trials, jingoist celebrations and the funeral of Queen Victoria. The articles are accompanied by an in-depth introduction and extensive annotations.

This anthology - the first of its kind in English - will appeal to anyone interested in London history or in Anglo-Russian relations, as well as to scholars of Russian literature. Chukovsky and Marshak both became famous writers later in life, and many of Shklovsky's sketches have a distinct literary as well as historical value.